android apps for media production with smartphones · bumper sticker at the end of the clip, no way...

Android apps for media production with smartphones

by www.smartfilming.blog, Twitter: @smartfilming, Kontakt: [email protected]

May 2018 (Please note: things may change quickly in the app world, some info might be dated soon)

Video Cameras

App Why is it useful? Functionality & Features Notes Availabitlity Price (€)

Filmic Pro Support for external mics, manual exposure control (ISO/SS) & focus, exposure and focus lock, focus and exposure assistance (focus peaking, false color, histograms, waveform), precise white balance adjustment, visual audio meters, audio monitoring, 25fps frame rate option for PAL, vertical and other aspect ratios possible, LOG profile, continuous recording beyond file size limit, simple editing tools within the app, fantastic UI, good customer support

limited availability, not all functionality/features work(s) well on all devices

limited (full Camera2 API required, Android 5.0 & up)

12.99

Cinema FV-5 Basically runs on all Android devices, support for external mics, manual exposure control (ISO/EV) & focus, exposure/focus/white balance lock, visual audio meters, audio monitoring, 25fps frame rate option, historgram, continuous recording beyond file size limit

no shutter speed control, audio monitoring only before recording, only presets for white balance, not all features work well on all devices

(almost) all Android devices (Android 4.0 & up)

free (lite-version) /

1.99

LumioCam Support for external mics, manual exposure control in pro-mode (ISO/SS), manual focus, WearOS support, both video and photo camera

pro-mode only with full Camera2 API, no 25fps option, no visual audio meters, only presets for white balance, no audio monitoring

(almost) all Android devices (Android 4.0 & up), pro-mode limited

free / 5.49

App

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Cinema 4K Support for external mics, manual exposure control (ISO/SS) & focus, white balance scale, 25fps frame rate option, flat profile capture option

limited availability, principal functionality only with full Camera2 API, no visual audio meters, no audio monitoring

limited (full Camera2 API required, Android 5.0 & up)

free / 4.84

ProShot Support for external mics, manual exposure control (ISO/SS) & focus, white balance scale, 25fps option, visual audio meter, support for capture in vertical and square format, both video and photo camera

full functionality only with proper Camera2 API support, no audio monitoring, can sometimes act a bit sluggish/buggy

somewhat limited (Android 6.0 & up)

3.89

Open Camera Support for external mics, manual exposure control (ISO/SS) & focus, exposure lock, continuous recording beyond files size limit, 25fps option, both video and photo camera, completely free without limitations

full functionality only with proper Camera2 API support no visual audio meters, no audio monitoring, UI could be improved

(almost) all Android devices (Android 4.0.3 and up)

free

Footej Camera Support for external mics, manual exposure control (ISO/SS) & focus, exposure and focus lock reticles, audio gain, visual audio meters, both video and photo camera

full functionality only with proper Camera2 API support, only presets for white balance, no 25fps, audio meters only before recording, no audio monitoring


free / 2.99

ViMoJo Video recording and editing in one, support for external mics, manual exposure control (ISO/SS) & focus, visual audio meters

no 25fps option, only presets for white balance, no audio monitoring


4.79

Teleprompter Pro Good for pieces-to-camera (PTCs): Video recording and teleprompter functionality in one, simple and clean UI with useful features like visual audio meters and exposure lock, support for external mics, both landscape and vertical format possible

account required, certain features (FHD quality/auto captions/logo) only with subscription, no manual exposure and white balance control


free / subscription (9.99

monthly or 59.99 a

year)

Why is it useful? Functionality & Features Notes Availabitlity Price (€)App



Musemage Video recording app with interesting live effects (snow, rain, old TV) etc and filters (retro, black&white etc.) which can also be combined, HDR, chroma key

no exposure/focus/white balance control, only certain effect allow fine tuning, can act buggy, doesn’t have all functionality of iOS version


free

Cinamaker Capture / Director Pad

First and so far only Android app that lets you connect the cameras of multiple phones for a multi-cam recording, controlled wirelessly by a master device

beta version, app is currently still in development and is not fully stable


free (as current beta)

VHS Cam Best VHS camcorder emulator on Android, very authentic effect, spoof recording date that can also be customized, two-line titler, very authentic zoom function, widescreen option (720p), different filters, videos can also be imported

no 1080p/FHD, spoof recording date can not be set before 1984 (commercial launch of camcorders)


3.49

Background Video Recorder

Allows for video recording (front or rear camera) in the background of the UI and with deactivated display, useful in situations like investigative research and documentation where you don’t want people to know you are recording, several setting options, widgets, 1080p resolution

everything runs in auto-mode (no control over exposure, focus, white balance)

(almost) all Android devices (Android 4.0.3 & up)

free / 2.39

iRig Recorder 3 Primarily an audio recorder that also has video recording functionality, visual audio meters, gain control, audio monitoring with only minimal delay

except for the resolution there are no settings/options


free / 8.99

Why is it useful? Functionality & Features Notes Availabitlity Price (€)App



Video Editors

App Why is it useful? Functionality & Features Notes Availability Price (€)

KineMaster Most advanced & powerful video editing app on Android, resolution up to UHD/4K, support for multiple video tracks (even in UHD/4K), excellent title tool, 25/50fps project & export option, keyframeable audio, visual audio meters, voice over recording, keyframeable graphical elements and titles, support for png files with transparency (logos), useful stickers/graphical elements, basic grading / color correction, chroma key/green screen feature, audio compressor, panning, audio filters, partial blurring effect to anonymize faces etc., fantastic and intuitive UI, free with full functionality (watermark)

number of video tracks and resolution varies with device, no vertical or square project format, for export without watermark subscription is needed


free / subscription

(3.56 monthly or

28.46 a year)

PowerDirector Advanced & powerful, multiple video tracks, support for 9:16 vertical format, resolution up to UHD/4K (one track), solid title tool, voice over recording, audio mixer for tracks, support for png files with transparency, chroma key/green screen feature, project file migration to desktop PD version possible, supports more devices for layers & higher resolutions than KineMaster

no 25/50fps option, no keyframeable audio, number of video tracks and resolution varies with device, no layers in UHD/4K, watermark-free export only with subscription


free / subscription

(3.89 monthly or

23.99 a year)

Cute CUT Best advanced editing app with one-off payment, multiple video tracks, 25fps project and export option, support for vertical and square formats, support for png files with transparency, voice over recording

UI could be better, no keyframeable audio, no UHD/4K export, no 50fps


free / 6.49

VideoPad Advanced feature set, supports 2nd video track, 25fps project and export, both timeline and storyboard mode, keyframeable audio, voice over recording, free version without essential limitations, runs on almost all Android devices

stale and not very touch-friendly UI, very long export times even on powerful devices


free / in-app purchases

Quik Automatically creates an edited video from video clips and images (manual edits possible afterwards),support for different formats (landscape, vertical, square), easy to use and free without watermark, useful for content that focuses on the visuals

not suitable for projects were spoken word is essential, no voice over function


free

App



Adobe Premiere Clip

Free without watermark, project migration to Premiere Pro (PC/Mac) possible, auto sync back-up to the cloud, basic grading/color correction, auto-edit option

Adobe account required, project auto-syncing cannot be turned off, no 2nd video track, no 25fps option, no voice over function, no UHD/4K support, hasn’t been updated in like forever


free

Videoshop Pretty simple to learn but still with a good set of features and editing tools, support for different aspect ratio formats (landscape, vertical, square), voice over recording, while there is no dedicated 25fps option it keeps frame rate of ingested footage

can be a bit sluggish with certain tasks, trimming is *not* non-destructive, no 2nd video track, new price model is way too expensive, no UHD/4K


free / 39.99 /

subscription (3.99

monthly or 23.88 a

year)

VlogIt Pretty advanced video editing app, 2nd video track / picture-in-picture supported, solid set of editing tools, voice over recording, no dedicated 25fps option but keeps frame rate of ingested footage, free

free without sign-up only allows 720p projects (with bumper animation at the end), for 1080p you need to create an account, no vertical or square format supported, no UHD/4K


free

InShot Video and photo editor in one, focus on square video but other aspect ratios like 16:9 landscape and 9:16/4:5 vertical supported as well

no 2nd video track, no voice over function, UI could be better, no UHD/4K export, free version with watermark

(almost) all Android devices


ViMoJo Video recording and editing app in one (see above) editing section is rather rudimentary


4.79

Why is it useful? Functionality & Features Notes Availability Price (€)App



Multimedia


Legend Creation of slick animated video titles with a range of templates, easy and intuitive, good results in no time, 16:9 and 1:1 project option, export as video (up to 1080p) or GIF

only photo not video can be used as background, no further updates can be expected as development has ceased


free / 1.99

Motion Stills Records short video clips that can be turned into GIFs, sped up, looped or combined as a story, very slick and touch/swipe-friendly UI, also excellent as a visual storytelling learning tool, AR stickers, free

idiosyncratic recording format/resolution (1080x1440), no audio cross-fade between clips possible, no title tool, original clips are app-internal

somewhat limited (Android 5.1 & up + capable chipset)

free

Hyperlapse Speeds up and stabilizes video clips (shot within the app or imported) Microsoft/Hyperlapse bumper sticker at the end of the clip, no way to get rid of it


free

Storyboard Automatically creates an artsy comic-strip-style photo collage of a video clip

works best when the clip features a lot of different shots/perspectives, some customization tools would be nice


free

Alight Motion Advanced motion graphics, animation and video compositing with multiple layers, keyframes, vast variety of tools for manipulating elements, support for multiple project formats including 16:9 widescreen, 9:16 vertical and 1:1 square, even custom formats

in development, early beta version that is not fully stable


free (beta version)

PicPlayPost Photo/Video collages in different formats (landscape, vertical, square) subscription model might be coming soon (iOS version already got hit)


free / 5.99

App



Explain Everything

Interactive whiteboard with inbuilt screen recording functionality, like a PowerPoint presentation that can be recorded as a video, useful for visual explainer videos, lots of creation, annotation and editing tools available, timeline mode for editing

more suitable for bigger screens (tablets), needs some learning time to master the app


free / subscription (4.99 monthly or 24.99 a year)

AZ Screen Recorder

Live screen capture, good for app tutorials & explainers, documenting app or software problems, documentation/capture of screen content that can’t be downloaded or is likely to vanish,) recording of video calls, advanced video editing tools available as a plug-in, picture-in-picture mode with front or rear camera recording while capturing the screen

Only records external audio coming in through the mic, not internal (Android limitation)


free / 3.29

DU Screen Recorder

Another good screen recording app Only records external audio coming in through the mic, not internal (Android limitation)


free

Google Photos Simple trimming and stabilizing of video clips, basic photo editing tools, photo collage, animated photos (GIF), automatic edit from multiple video clips, simple video editor for creating story out of multiple clips manually, automatic cloud back-up function for content, free with full functionality

story editing tool is cloud-based, can’t be used fully offline


free

Ripl Templates/building blocks for easily sprucing up photos, graphics and videos with titles, animations and effects to use on social media, quick and good results

free version with watermark and reduced functionality, paid version extremely expensive


free / subscription (10.99 monthly)

Vimo Animated titles, stickers, overlays to spruce up video clips, basic use of keyframes for animations possible, simple timeline that allows precise placement of elements, export as video file or GIF

export process could be faster, style of motion stickers is rather playful






Stop Motion Studio

Recording and editing of stop motion sequences, nice UI, solid camera interface with ability to lock exposure, focus and white balance, resolution up to UHD/4K, option to remote trigger recording via 2nd device (via companion app „Remote Camera“), chroma key/green screen feature, voice over recording, title cards, support for external mics

several useful features are only available in the pro version or must be purchased, no real support for png with transparency, no 2nd video track

(almost) all Android devices Android 4.1 & up)

free / 4.99 (pro version)

Storymaker 2 Interesting learning tool for (multi-media) journalists in training, that combines text chapters on journalistic standards and practices with the ability to create simple media content (photos, videos, audio)

Media creation tools are very simple and limited, not the best for professional use with manual controls


free

Oratory Allows the creation of a teleprompter widget with auto-scrolling text that can be used as an overlay with any other app (for instance video recording, live streaming), very useful for pieces-to-camera (PTCs) or recording long voice-overs in editing apps

UI might suggest it can only be used with certain apps which is not true, display overlay functionality has to be activated in Android


free / 9.99

Artisto Allows capturing short videos or photos with painting-like stylistic filters/ live overlay masks in 1:1 square format

data usage hog, no way to remove watermark, no fine tuning possible, only square format


free

Plotaverse Creation of „cinemagraphs“/„living photos“: Still images that have partial motion in it

Plotaverse account required, some core functionality and watermark-free export only with expensive subscription


free / subscription

(4.79 monthly or

34.99 a year)

Loopsie Creation of „cinemagraphs“/„living photos“ Processing after capture could be faster, some more tools for fine tuning would be nice


free / 2.99




Vimage Creation of „cinemagraphs“/„living photos“ but in a different way than Loopsie: an animated object/sticker is added to a still image, photo and animated object can be manipulated, 1:1 square format, export as video

only square 1:1 format, animated stickers need to be downloaded one by one, no export as GIF, can be a bit buggy


free / 3.99

Steller Creation of visually interesting multi-media collages with photos, videos, text hosted online

sign-up for Steller community required


free

Tunnel Vision Creation of video clips with six interesting and adjustable tunnel/ripple effects, free

development of the app has ceased, maximum resolution is 720p, only vertical format


free

Text Animation Maker

Creation of animated video titles with templates and options to adjust fonts, font size, colors etc.

not as good and intuitive as ‚Legend‘, certain tasks are rather cumbersome to achieve



Just a line Doodling in AR/3D space while recording video, very simple and straightforward, free

only available for a handful of devices, one-trick-pony, you can only draw with finger, no shape templates

very limited (mostly recent Google & Samsung flagships)

free

DU GIF Maker Creation of GIFs in different ways (live capture, multiple photos, video, screen capture), very clean and intuitive UI, good set of modes & basic editing tools, free

Quality of captured GIFs could be better when edits have been applied


free




VidTrim Primarily intended to edit/compress/convert single video clips, this is actually very useful to check video file specs like frame & bit rates

only for editing single clips, you can’t create a story out of multiple clips


free / 2.39

Video Converter & Compressor (VidCompact)

Useful app to compress/convert video clips, batch compression feature


free / 3.99

Video Compress For compressing video to reduce the file size, highly customizable output options that will all show estimated file size


free / 2.99

Camera2 probe Tells you how well Camera2 API has been implemented into your device’s software by the phone maker. Camera2 API is important for advanced manual controls in 3rd party camera apps. The developer of the app has provided a list with results for many devices: https://github.com/TobiasWeis/android-camera2probe/wiki

only works for the rear camera, not the front (selfie) camera


free



https://github.com/TobiasWeis/android-camera2probe/wiki


Livestreaming (Video)


Periscope Video livestreaming on Periscope/Twitter, support for external mics landscape and vertical portrait mode supported

Periscope account required


free

Facebook Video livestreaming on Facebook, support for external mics, audio-only livestreaming option, ability to add different effects to the livestream (filters, overlays, masks, drawing etc.), landscape and vertical portrait mode supported, friends can be added to a broadcast

Facebook account required


free

YouTube Video livestreaming on YouTube, has recently become available for everyone (used to be only channels with at least 100 subscribers) support for external mics

Google account required, account has to be verified with phone number for livestreaming (takes 24hrs to activate)


free

Instagram Video livestreaming on Instagram, support for external mics (solo cast mode only), friends can be added to a broadcast

Instagram account required, dual cast doesn’t support external mics


free

ManyCam Lets you connect multiple phones to a ManyCam account / desktop software and use them as camera sources to livestream from multiple angels to Facebook and YouTube

Only useful in combination with ManyCam desktop software (PC/Mac)


free / 3.39 / subscription



360° (Video/Photo)


Cardboard Camera Creation of 360° images without a dedicated 360° camera to use on Facebook etc., exposure lock, audio recording option, very clean and intuitive UI, free, useful for visually documenting locations to later revisit these places virtually via a VR headset like Google Cardboard (for instance to bring back impressions for a text article)

images are not fully spherical (top and bottom missing), takes longer to create an image than with a proper 360° camera


free

V360 Editing 360° video footage/images, keeps 360° meta data after export, nice UI, solid choice of basic editing tools, sorting function for 360° content on the phone, exports with original resolution, project is saved when closing the app

no voice over function, audio adjustment a bit cumbersome, only storyboard mode (not a precise timeline), no live VR playback, only one project at a time


free / 4.99

VeeR Editor Editing 360° video footage/images, keeps 360° meta data after export, live VR playback mode, solid choice of basic editing tools, exports with original resolution

watermark-free export only by signing up to community, no 360° content sorting, no voice over function, only storyboard mode, project is lost if you close the app

(almost) all Android (Android 4.4 & up)

free

Collect Editing 360° video footage/images, keeps 360° meta data after export, sorting function for 360° content, basic editing tools (no title tool/title cards though), custom watermark possible, free without watermark

somewhat unconventional UI, no voice over function, only storyboard mode, no title tool, doesn’t export in original resolution, project is lost if you close the app


free

VRfix (Re-)injects 360° meta data to clips, important if 360° footage has been edited in regular video editing apps which scrap the meta data upon export, without proper meta data 360° players will not recognize the clip as 360° content

relatively expensive for what it can do (only mobile app option at the moment though)


4.99



Photo Editors


Photo Director Wide range of useful tools for editing photos, free version is good enough for most purposes

no real layer mode, no option to add shapes like arrows or circles for annotation


free / subscription

(2.89 monthly or

16.99 a year)

Snapseed Wide range of useful tools for editing photos, nice text/title templates, support for RAW/DNG file images, free with full functionality

no real layer mode, no option to add shapes like arrows or circles for annotation


free

Screen Master Excellent to annotate/mark-up photos with text, shapes, drawings etc., blur/pixelate tool to obscure persons or objects for privacy reasons, screenshot function

A selection of different fonts would be useful



Adobe Lightroom Photo editor and photo camera in one, camera widget available, full manual camera controls (exposure, focus, white balance), advanced image grading in terms of color, contrast, saturation etc., histogram helping tool, RAW/DNG file support

more suitable for „serious“ photo editing (grading), no „fun“ stuff like stickers etc


free / 4.99

PixelLab Outstanding title tool to put text on photos, especially with 3D effect, real layer mode, wide range of editing tools, free with full functionality

UI could be better, amount of options can be a bit confusing


free

ObscuraCam Helps to obscure persons or other elements in a photo for privacy reasons by pixelating or creating black bars

no blur effect, no control over amount of pixelation effect


free



Audio


Easy Voice Recorder

Audio recorder with good UI, multiple settings/options and some useful additional features, live audio waveforms while recording, fantastic widgets, customizable UI, WearOS support, basic trimming function with waveforms displayed, support for external mics, option for automatic upload to the cloud

no gain control before recording, trimming function and other features only in pro version, no live monitoring through headphones



Sony Audio Recorder

Audio recorder with very clean and intuitive UI, visual audio meters, basic trimming function, support for external mics

no audio waveforms in the trim tool which hinders precise navigation, no widgets, no live monitoring


free

Field Recorder Audio recorder with a wide range of settings, visual audio meters, support for external mics, widget support, UI can be customized which comes in very handy in certain scenarios, live audio monitoring (small delay)

no editing/trimming tool, some might find the complex look intimidating, widget is not really useful


4.99

Rec Forge II Audio recorder with several settings/options and simple trimming function including waveforms, visual audio meters, support for external mics, good widgets, live monitoring (small delay)

UI could be more intuitive, preview function might initially confuse people



iRig Recorder 3 Audio recorder that also has video capture mode, support for external mics, visual audio meters, live monitoring with only minimal delay, audio gain control, simple trimming function with waveforms, fade in/out effect, audio filters, markers

no widget, requests location data for no obvious reason


free / 8.99

N Track Studio Multi-track audio editor, fairly good UI that however can seem a bit cluttered/complex for certain purposes, wide range of editing tools, recording function, support for external mics, fade handles for quick in/out, keyframeable audio, waveform display of clips changes when volume is adjusted

primarily designed for music production, to save or export projects you need to buy the app or a subscription, rather expensive


free / 29.99 / subscription (0.99 monthly)



Audio Evolution Mobile Studio

Multi-track audio editor, fairly good UI that however can seem a bit cluttered/complex for certain purposes, wide range of editing tools, recording function, support for external mics, as a one-off payment much cheaper than N Strack Studio

free version is just a demo, primarily designed for music production, no fade handles for easy fades (keyframes need to be used)


free / 6.99

Anchor Creation of audio content / podcasts hosted by the Anchor network, a couple of interesting features including the ability to integrate pre-recorded „call-ins“ by other users / listeners for your own show, songs via Spotify or audio transitions, support for external mics

Anchor account is required, option to add artwork to shows/segments would be nice to have, no native playback Twitter integration


free

SoundCloud Platform for audio content / podcasts. You can record directly with the app, trimming and fading in/out possible, lets you add an artwork for the track, quasi-native playback integration when sharing to Twitter (integrated player lets you stay within Twitter), 3 hours of free upload (Pro: 6 hrs, Pro Unlimited: unlimited)

Soundcloud account required, pre-recorded/produced tracks can only be uploaded via web, maximum file size 500MB


free / subscription

FL Studio Mobile Digital music composition/production app that lets you create your own music which can then be used in your video/audio projects without having to worry about copyrights/royalties, big selection of synth instruments

not as intuitive and good as Apple’s ‚Garage Band‘, more suitable for tablets, relatively expensive for an app


17.99

FMA Mobile app of the Free Music Archive, (www.freemusicarchive.org) which offers a large selection of creative commons music, that can be used for free (with attribution) in your own video/audio projects, CC license of individual tracks is visible in the app

downloading tracks is not possible anymore within the app, needs to be done via website (link can be found in the app)


free




http://www.freemusicarchive.org

File Storage & Transfer


Google Drive 15 GB of free cloud storage to store all kinds of files that can be accessed from anywhere via the internet, no file size limit (important for big video files)

Google account required (almost) all Android devices

free / subscription for additional storage

OneDrive 5 GB of free cloud storage to store all kinds of files that can be accessed from anywhere via the internet

Microsoft account required, file size limit of 15 GB



Dropbox 2 GB of free cloud storage to store all kinds of files that can be accessed from anywhere via the internet, no file size limit

Dropbox account required, only 2 GB of initial free storage



Feem v4 Wireless file transfer between different devices/platforms (Feem is available for Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, Windows, MacOS), WiFi Direct feature can vastly improve transfer speed, files are not compressed

transfer speed varies during the transfer, big files can cause problems sometimes


free / 4.99

Send Anywhere Wireless file transfer between different devices/platforms (Send Anywhere is available for Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, Windows, MacOS & as a web service), WiFi Direct feature can vastly improve transfer speeds (only between Android devices), temporary cloud storage with download link feature

ads in the free version are a bit tricky as they might appear to be part of the app’s UI


free / 4.99

Files Go Apart from helping you clean up your phone’s storage of duplicate and unnecessary files the app can be used as an easy and fast way to wirelessly transfer files between Android devices

location service needs to be turned on for file transfer function


free



WeTransfer Send files of up to 10 GB to an eMail address via temporary cloud storage and download link

from within the app you can only access the gallery, not the file system as a whole


free

USB Media Explorer

Allows accessing, browsing and importing of files from external storage that is connected to the device’s USB port like USB thumb drives or (micro)SD cards in an adapter

Android device needs to have USB-OTG support, for video thumbnails, the additional app „NMI Metadata Service“ needs to be installed


4.39




android apps for media production with smartphones · bumper sticker at the end of the clip, no way...

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